As a new school year begins, new staff and reassigned staff become members of existing teams. To what extent have administrative and teacher leaders purposefully planned processes to ease and speed up teams forming? While teams naturally build cohesion and effectiveness over time, it is possible to accelerate the team-building process. Consider intentional strategies that […]

As a new school year starts, conversations about coaching are critical. Have instructional coaches and principals engaged in sufficient conversations to align the coach’s decision- making about how to prioritize coaching activities? Are plans in place for a staff discussion about expectations for a coaching culture in the school and teachers’ engagement in coaching activities? […]

As the start of a new school year approaches, it’s a great time for teachers to consider how their approach to classroom management not only impacts their classroom environment for content learning but also what students learn from being part of that classroom management plan. Questions to consider as you reflect on your classroom plan […]

As this school year begins with unknowns and different learning settings, some conversations with your children can better prepare them to be resilient in these situations. Consider the responses you might use as children share some worries or concerns. What strategies can you model to build resilience? How to Talk to Your Kids About the […]

With the new school year beginning for many teachers and students in a virtual environment, it will be critical to decide what usual beginning of the year classroom practices need to be consciously planned and implemented. What are the similarities in establishing respectful relationships among students and teachers and a task-focused environment with high learning […]